'As close to death as anybody could be': Leeds stabbing victim saved by medics after being knifed in the heart during drug dispute

A stabbing victim was 'as close to death as anybody could be' after a knife was plunged into his chest during a row over drugs at a house in Leeds.
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Daniel Cunningham was locked up for more than ten years over the knife attack on the victim in the early hours of October 24 last year.

A court heard Cunningham would have been facing a murder charge had it not been for the quick reactions of paramedics and the skill of surgeons at Leeds General Infirmary.

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Leeds Crown Court was told Cunningham, 41, carried out the stabbing at the home he shared with his half-brother Stephen Catterill, on Bexley Grove, Harehills.

Daniel Cunningham stabbed man in the chest during an argument over drugs.Daniel Cunningham stabbed man in the chest during an argument over drugs.
Daniel Cunningham stabbed man in the chest during an argument over drugs.

Brian Russell, prosecuting, said the victim and his friend knew Cunningham and Catterill and they went to their home to smoke crack cocaine in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Russell said the two men only had enough of the class A drug to share with Catterill and Cunningham became angry about not being able to have any.

The defendant took out a knife and the men managed to calm him down after promising to go out and buy more of the drug.

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Cunningham put the weapon away but took it out again a short time later.

Stephen Catterill cleaned blood from the scene and hid the knife after his half-brother Daniel Cunningham stabbed a man at their home in Harehills.Stephen Catterill cleaned blood from the scene and hid the knife after his half-brother Daniel Cunningham stabbed a man at their home in Harehills.
Stephen Catterill cleaned blood from the scene and hid the knife after his half-brother Daniel Cunningham stabbed a man at their home in Harehills.

Mr Russell said Cunningham lunged at the victim and stabbed him in the chest.

The blade caused a two-inch deep wound which damaged his heart.

The victim struggled to breathe and was bleeding heavily.

He collapsed on the pavement outside the property.

Neighbours who heard the disturbance came to help and contacted emergency services.

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Mr Russell said: "An ambulance was called and two paramedics attended.

"Their rapid action in getting him to hospital, which was just around the corner, probably saved his life."

After carrying out the attack, Cunningham told neighbours that there was nothing wrong with the victim and he had just fallen over.

He said the victim "just had a scratch" and suggested that he turned up at the house already injured.

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Catterill, 53, cleaned up blood at the stabbing scene and got rid of the knife for his sibling.

Mr Russell said the weapon was dumped in a bush near to their home.

It was recovered by police but any forensic evidence that may have been on the weapon was lost.

The victim's friend was initially arrested and taken into custody after the incident as the pair continued to deny any wrongdoing.

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The prosecutor said the victim was taken off a hospital ventilator a day after the stabbing after undergoing a successful operation.

He continues to suffer from nightmares as a result of his ordeal.

Cunningham was charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty to wounding with intent on the day of his trial on Monday (September 7).

He was jailed for ten years and three months.

Cunningham must serve two-thirds of the sentence before can be released from custody on licence.

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Catterill pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 18 months.

Christopher Dunn, for Cunningham, said: "He doesn't seek to shy away from any of his offending.

"The complainant in this case was extremely fortunate.

Describing the knife attack, Mr Dunn said: "It was a very brief intention to cause really serious harm.

"He is genuinely remorseful for what happened.

"They were friends and he is deeply upset."

Marcus Waite, for Catterill, said his client accepted giving a misleading account at the crime scene and moving the knife.

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Mr Waite said the defendant did so after his brother asked him to.

Sentencing Cunningham, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: "He was as close to death as anybody could ever be.

"It was only the swift actions of the paramedics and the skill of the surgeons that saved his life."

Judge Stubbs told Catterill: "You did your incompetent best to clean up and get rid of the weapon."